Happy Beginnings
by Just Another Wise Girl
Summary: Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson both feel as if there is something missing in their lives. Can one encounter on a bus ride home change all that? Or will they continue to believe that there is no such thing as a happy ending. AU. Oneshot *PERCABETH!*


**I know I should be working on the other stories, but this oneshot came to me this morning and I just had to write it. This is my first oneshot and I hope you like it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the incredibly gorgeous Percy Jackson... Only in my dreams**

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_'- all of the memories so close to me just fade away_

_All this time you were pretending, so much for my happy ending'_

Annabeth nodded her head and hummed silently to the song that was blasting in her ears as she sat on the old bus. She continued to look out the window as she thought that Avril Lavigne knew how to tell it like it is. There is no such thing as happy endings. You're born, you live, you die. That's it. All of the stuff you do in-between is just you trying to find some sort of happiness while living on this hell hole of a planet.

Although Annabeth Chase lived a pretty normal life, she still wasn't happy. She had a family that cared for her (most of the time) and a few good friends that she trusted... But they didn't really make her happy. Sure, she would laugh and smile with them, but Annabeth couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing something. Like there was a missing puzzle piece that could maybe, just maybe, make her feel something extraordinary.

She mentally scoffed. What else could she want? Aside from the people in her life, she was going to be graduating from Columbia University (which was her dream school), and she has already begun to receive job offers for the career of her choice. Annabeth has always wanted to become an architect and now, she couldn't wait to get out of school and begin her life.

Percy Jackson on the other hand, was dreading the day that he would graduate. He didn't like change and quite frankly, the thought of starting a new life on his own scared the crap out of him.

Percy was on the same boat as Annabeth. He wasn't completely happy. He wanted something more, but he just didn't know what that something was. He had loving parents and a step-parent, a good amount of friends, and he was fortunate enough that his father had enough money to pay for his education. Even though Percy thought he was a pretty lucky guy, he knew that he wouldn't be truly content until he found what he was looking for.

Annabeth continued to quietly mumble to herself as the bus came up to another stop. She had been coming from her friend Thalia's apartment which was a good hour away by public transit. She could have easily taken her car and she would have been home in less than twenty minutes, but something inside of her said that it would be a better idea to take the bus.

She wished she had ignored the feeling.

Now, she was sitting in an uncomfortable chair, in an old smelly bus, with creepy guys eyeing her like a meal. She slowly sunk lower in her seat as the doors opened again signaling people to get off. This stop happened to be very popular since almost all the passengers decided to leave. The only people left were a slightly drunk middle aged man with a scruffy beard, an old lady that looked considerably like Betty White, a seriously spiffy business man with a night black suit, and Annabeth.

She sighed as she looked out the window again to get lost in her thoughts. There was at least forty five more minutes left until Annabeth's stop so she might as well just daydream for a while. Unfortunately, before she could even register a single idea, she jumped in her seat from a sudden tap on her shoulder.

Annabeth turned to face a tall, young looking man. The first thing that was recorded in Annabeth's mind was _'Wow'_. This man was unlike anyone she's ever seen. He had messy raven black hair that seemed completely untameable, a finely toned body figure, and the most spectacular eyes she has ever seen. His eyes were a mixture of blue and green, although people could argue that the green overpowered. When Annabeth looked into them, she swore she felt as if she was on the beach. His eyes reminded her of the ocean so much that she could practically taste the salty water.

The man's mouth started moving, but no sound came out. "What?" she asked while giving him a perplexed look.

He smiled as he reached over and pulled out one of Annabeth's earbuds "I asked if it was alright if I sat here."

Annabeth looked around the bus again only to find almost all the seats completely empty. She raised her eyebrow at him, wondering what in the world is wrong with this super ho- Err... _Attractive_ guy. He could have picked any spot in the entire bus, yet he decided that he wanted to sit in the seat that has been currently occupied by Annabeth's handbag. There had to be something strange going on in that large head of his, but Annabeth just shrugged and removed her handbag from the seat next to her.

Percy smiled as he sat beside the blond beauty who had caught his eye the moment he had entered the bus. Percy was coming home after a long day at his part time job and wanted nothing more than to go home and lay on his bed for twelve hours. He was grumpy and exhausted, but all of that seemed to fade when he caught sight of the beautiful woman near the back of the bus. He suddenly felt rejuvenated as he walked over to her. It was as if he was being drawn to her and everything around them just disappeared.

Percy was never so straight forward with a stranger and when he asked to sit with her, her calculating gaze made him feel like he was a bug about to be squashed by a giant boot. Fortunately, with her slight acknowledgment, he received a new found confidence that he never knew he had.

After a few minutes of silence, Percy dared himself to look over at her. He found that she was even prettier up close. Her blonde curly hair shone in the dimly lit night and her skin looked so tan and soft that it made Percy wonder if she was created by Aphrodite herself. Although, something in her eyes told him otherwise. They were a piercing grey with a fierceness that could make anyone tremble. Percy swore that the way the different shades clashed together, made it look like she was containing a storm that could burst at any moment. She was definitely goddess worthy, but she resembled a goddess that could be both beautiful and intimidating at the same time.

Annabeth felt as if someone was watching her so she turned her head slightly only to come face to face with the green eyed man. Even though she caught him staring, he still didn't turn his gaze away from her. Annabeth concluded right then that this man was downright weird, even if he is hotter than the sun god.

"Ever heard of the phrase 'Take a picture, it will last longer'?" Annabeth asked while fixing him with a stern glare.

Percy shook himself out of his daze as he abruptly looked away from her completely embarrassed. "Sorry" he muttered while desperately trying to stop the redness from forming in his cheeks.

Now it was Annabeth's turn to stare. She didn't mean to keep her gaze on him, but she just couldn't look away. He was different, but in a good way. Sure, he was a little strange, but there was just something about him that made her want to get to know him better. Seeing as she wasn't going anywhere for a while, she decided to take the plunge.

"What's your name?"

Percy looked at her completely stunned. He thought he lost all chances of being on good terms with her when she caught him staring. He couldn't help but feel frustrated with himself for acting so creepy. Fortunately, the woman looked past his awkwardness and decided to be friendly with him.

His hands started to feel sweaty so he quickly wiped them on his beige shorts and extended one arm out to her saying "Percy. Percy Jackson."

_Interesting name_. Annabeth thought while extended her arm to him "Nice to meet you Percy Jackson. I'm Annabeth. Annabeth Chase." As Percy smiled Annabeth felt a slight blush start to rise in her cheeks.

_What's wrong with you!_ She scolded herself _Keep calm! He's only one man!_

_Yeah, _replied the voice in her head _One man with the most incredible eyes and smile and-_

"Do you live around here?"

Percy cut her inner battle short and Annabeth mentally thanked him for that. She shook her head as she replied "No, I live about forty minutes from here."

Percy nodded in understanding as he looked down at his hand. It was still holding Annabeth's and yet, he couldn't pull himself to let go. Annabeth looked down at the same time he did and yanked her hand away blushing furiously.

"So... Where do you live?" Annabeth muttered after an awkward silence.

"I live on Johnson Drive" Percy replied, not daring to look at her in the eyes.

Annabeth's head snapped back at Percy as she looked at him with wide eyes "Really?! I live there too! How come I've never seen you around before?"

"I just moved in two weeks ago" Percy explained while silently cheering that Annabeth lives so close to him. He's not a stalker or anything. He's just happy that he has someone he knows live near him.

"That's cool. Maybe we can get together sometime?" Annabeth was secretly fist pumping the air at this new found information. Although Percy is kind of strange, he seems like a pretty nice guy. She wouldn't mind having him as a friend.

Percy grinned as he said "I'm looking forward to it." Annabeth smiled widely at him and the two just sat there, smiling and staring at each other for a long time. Green eyes against grey. They both started feeling something that they have never felt before. Neither one could explain what it was, but they didn't want the feeling to stop.

"Do you want to listen with me?" Annabeth asked as she held one earbud to him.

"Sure." Percy took the earbud and as their fingertips touched, Percy could feel a sudden burst of electricity rush through him. Percy didn't care that it sounded extremely cliché to say because now he was sitting shoulder to shoulder with a new friend.

Annabeth did her best to keep her cool from their close proximity. She could hear Percy's deep, slow breaths as his chest would rise and fall from each intake of oxygen. She couldn't help but let her eyes wander down Percy's chest. What? Like you wouldn't do the same thing if you had the chance?

She could instantly tell through his blue t-shirt that he was definitely working on getting a six pack. Percy looked at her and caught her staring. She quickly turned her head as Percy just smirked to himself. Luckily for Annabeth, Percy didn't acknowledge the fact that he saw her staring, instead he decided to bring up a new topic.

"What song is this?"

Annabeth shook off her nervous feelings as she responded "Shut up and kiss me."

Percy gaped at her.

_Did she just say what I think she said?_ Percy asked himself completely stunned by her forwardness.

Because of the sudden shock, all Percy could muster out was an "Excuse me?" that made his voice crack as a deep crimson red filled his entire face. Annabeth turned and raised her eyebrow at him, confused as to why he looked so flushed.

"The song is called 'Shut Up and Kiss Me'," Annabeth said slowly while giving him an are-you-okay look "by Orianthi." Percy let out a breath that he didn't even know he was holding. Relief flew through him as he swung his arm over Annabeth's shoulder.

"I knew that."

Annabeth smirked at him while trying not to dwell too much on the fact that he had his arm draped around her "Sure you did Seaweed Brain."

Percy chuckled as he questioned "Seaweed Brain? Where did that come from?"

Annabeth suddenly felt shy. She didn't want to sound like a creepy weirdo. She should have kept her mouth shut, but of course she couldn't resist. Now Percy was sitting there looking at her expectantly.

"Your eyes" she blurted out slightly embarrassed. Percy was now confused, but she quickly explained "Your eyes remind me of the ocean. The ocean has seaweed and you don't seem all that bright to me... No offense."

"Gee, none taken" Percy said sarcastically while rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand awkwardly. He looked at Annabeth as she turned her head to face him at the same time. Annabeth's breathing hitched slightly as their faces were only inches apart.

Neither one could turn away. Neither one wanted to.

Percy stared into her intense grey eyes as a piece of her blonde hair fell onto her face. Percy couldn't help himself. He slowly tucked the curly piece behind her ear making Annabeth slightly shiver.

They both liked this. They both liked the idea of being so close to one another... And it frightened them.

"You have pretty eyes" Percy whispered. He really didn't mean to say that out loud. He actually planned to think of it in his head, but his tongue was a cruel traitor.

"Thanks" Annabeth mumbled with a large blush forming in her cheeks. Percy gave her a lopsided grin since he was surprised yet content that he could make her look so flushed.

The bus came to an abrupt stop causing the two to suddenly jerk and hit their heads against one another in the process. Both twenty-three year olds groaned while rubbing their foreheads to make the sharp pain disappear.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a _really_ hard head?" Percy asked while massaging the side of his temple that was beginning to form a bump.

Annabeth chuckled as she looked at his pained expression. His eyebrows were furrowed and his mouth was in a bit of a pout. She couldn't help but think that he looked completely adorable.

"Sorry about your head" she said apologetically "Here, let me see the bump."

Percy removed his hand as Annabeth reached over and gently swiped away the hair that was covering it. She softly ran her fingers over the bump as Percy tried his best not to wince since he liked the warm feeling.

The old lady that resembled Betty White passed by them to get off the bus. She smiled kindly at them as she whispered to herself "Ah, young love." Percy tried his best to hide the heat that was threatening to spread across his face, but sadly, he lost that battle.

Annabeth laughed lightly at him as she said "The bump looks like it might swell. When you get home, you should put an ice pack on it."

Percy nodded in understanding and pretty soon, a comfortable silence fell upon them. They listened to Annabeth's music and to Percy's surprise, she had really good taste. After a few songs, they began asking each other simple questions about family, friends, hobbies, school, the future, and to both of their astonishment, the bus was now at their stop. They had spent the entire ride getting to know each other and as the pair walked off the bus, neither one could hold in their smiles.

They walked side by side to Annabeth's house, since it was the closest, with their hands occasionally brushing the other's. They continued to talk and laugh at their childhood memories when Percy couldn't contain the question he had in his head any longer.

"So... Do you have a, umm, boyfriend?"

The question was so out of the blue that it had caught Annabeth off guard. She quickly composed herself as she responded "No... I don't" She then looked away nervously as she added "Do you?" Percy raised his eyebrow at her as she corrected herself "Have a girlfriend, I mean."

Annabeth looked at Percy from the corner of her eye and noticed he had a slight smirk on his face. "No, I don't. Do you know of anyone who might be interested?"

She knew he was flirting with her, but she didn't know how to respond. Annabeth was a terrible flirt. She had no idea what to do in these situations so she would get all flustered and start stammering which would only get her frustrated in the end. She hated looking like a complete fool. After quickly pondering what to say, she came up with an acceptable answer.

"I might have one girl in mind" she then turned her head to look at him as she asked "What about me? Do you know of anyone that might be interested in a blonde, dyslexic know it all?" She knew it was at her own expense, but she was glad to make Percy laugh.

"I think I know someone that might be into a wise girl like you." He then did something that Annabeth did not expect. He reached down and gently entwined his fingers in hers. Although it was rash and sudden, she liked the fact that he was straightforward. She also liked the warmth that his hand radiated in hers and soon enough, both of them had large grins across their faces.

The pair had reached Annabeth's front porch and Percy was reluctant to let her go. He wanted more than anything for her to stay with him, but it was already almost eleven and there was still work tomorrow. They stood at the front door, still holding hands, when Annabeth turned around to speak.

"I had fun tonight." It was a simple statement, but it still made Percy's stomach feel like it was doing somersaults.

"Me too" he responded "I'm really glad that I met you."

Annabeth grinned as he leaned down and gave her a large hug. She returned the gesture as they stood there holding each other for what seemed like hours.

Percy pulled away slightly, but his hands were still on Annabeth's waist. Annabeth stared into his eyes as her hands trailed up to his neck. They both looked at each other expectantly, neither one knowing if they should do what they had initially thought of doing. They stood in silence which only made Percy get nervous and start rambling.

"Umm, so I guess I'd better get going because you know, I have work tomorrow and my boss would hate it if I was late because the last time I was late, they had like a rush of fifty people suddenly come in and-"

Annabeth cut him off by putting her finger on his mouth. She leaned forward and touched her forehead with his.

"Just shut up and kiss me."

Percy didn't need to be told twice. He smiled widely as he closed the remaining gap between them and kissed her. The kiss was slow and gentle at first as they wrapped each other in a tighter embrace. After a while, the kiss became fervent, desperate, and above all, passionate. Their lips moved in such perfect sync that anyone would think that they had been kissing each other for years.

Neither one could get enough of the other. Annabeth pulled him closer as she ran her fingers through his messy raven hair and Percy held his grip on her with one arm while cupping her cheek and playing with her golden locks with the other.

Percy pinned her up against the door as he started kissing her from her jaw, to her neck, and down to her collarbone. Annabeth loved every second of it as she sighed in content. She pulled his face back to her and tilted her head slightly so she could deepen the kiss. They pulled away after what seemed like hours as their bodies begged for air. They both were breathing heavy and jagged breaths, but neither one dared to let go of the other.

After a few minutes Percy rested his forehead on hers and quietly whispered "Wow."

She smiled cheekily as she whispered back "You can say that again."

Percy chuckled as they stared into each others eyes. Then suddenly, realization hit them like a lightning bolt. This, is the first time that neither one of them has felt empty. In fact, both of them felt extremely... Happy. They were in complete and utter happiness as they looked at each other. The happiness felt like a drug that they were excruciatingly addicted to. Neither Percy or Annabeth wanted to be cured from this sudden addiction, so they had a silent agreement that they never would be.

Eventually, Percy had to leave. They said their goodbye with another long and blissful kiss, but both of them knew, it wouldn't be the last.

As Percy strode away from the porch he looked back and smiled widely as he said "Till tomorrow, my beautiful princess!"

Annabeth couldn't help but laugh as she waved and replied "Till tomorrow my handsome prince!"

Percy grinned as he continued to walk towards his house. Annabeth mimicked the expression as she opened the front door and slumped onto her couch. She was still smiling happily as her mind ran wild with the memories of that night.

Annabeth sighed as she thought to herself that this one boy got her to believe again. To believe that maybe, just maybe, there are such things as happy endings. But for now, she was completely content with the idea of a happy beginning with this incredible and amazingly spontaneous green eyed man.

Maybe all of those Disney movies that she used to watch knew what they were talking about after all.

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**Author's Note:**

**My first oneshot is complete! I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! :) **

**If you liked my oneshot, please feel free to look at my other two stories 'An Unforgettable Summer' and 'The Secret Heroes'. I would greatly appreciate it! **

**Also, if you would like to comment/review on what I wrote, I would be forever grateful! Again, thanks for reading and until next time fellow demigods!**


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